banking
The reorganization of the Rakuten Group’s FinTech business represents a fundamental alignment designed to maximize the lifetime value of the "Rakuten Ecosystem." By consolidating banking, credit card, and securities operations under the single listed umbrella of Rakuten Bank, the Group is moving to aggressively reduce customer acquisition
payments
In his opening remarks for the fiscal year ending March 2026 (FY2025), PayPay CEO Ichiro Nakayama signaled a balanced model of sustainable, high-margin profitability. The hallmark of this strategy is the achievement of a "Rule of X" score of 56—a metric combining the firm's
payments
JCB International, the international operations subsidiary of Japan’s JCB, has partnered with the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) to promote financial literacy and responsible credit card management among Filipino consumers. The two organizations formalized the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement announced on May 12. The cross-
digital assets
SBI Holdings has communicated a three-pronged strategic initiative designed to cement its dominance in the Japanese digital finance sector. By executing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire bitbank, establishing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Visa, and launching a high-yield crypto-reward credit card, the group
credit card
Infcurion and the CCI Group, with strategic support from Visa Worldwide Japan, have launched "Axios", a next-generation, full-cloud acquiring platform that arrives as a decisive response to Japan's "Cashless" initiative, marking a critical transition from rigid, legacy on-premise systems to a
credit card
bitbank and Epos Card - the fintech arm of retail giant Marui Group - have launched the "EPOS CRYPTO card for bitbank", debuting as the first credit card in Japan to allow consumers to settle monthly liabilities directly from cryptocurrency exchange holdings. According to research conducted by both bitbank and
cashless
Japan’s march toward a cashless society reached a significant milestone in 2025, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) reporting that cashless payments now account for 58.0% of total consumer spending. Total transaction value hit a record 162.7 trillion yen, fueled by a diversifying landscape
payments
Tokyo-based FinTech leader Infcurion has announced a significant expansion of its “Winvoice” platform by entering into a strategic partnership with Credit Saison, one of Japan’s largest credit card issuers, to integrate American Express brand cards into its service ecosystem. Users of Infcurion’s "Winvoice" platform can
loyalty
PayPay Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Card (SMCC), and CCCMK Holdings announced the launch of a mutual point-exchange program. Starting March 24, 2026, users will be able to convert "PayPay Points" and "V Points" at a 1:1 ratio, effectively bridging two of the country’s largest
payments
DG Financial Technology (DGFT) and its subsidiary SCORE have announced the upcoming launch of "Score Atokara Card" (Score Card-Later) to optimize the burgeoning subscription-based e-commerce market. Scheduled for a June 2026 rollout, the service aims to bridge the gap between high-conversion "Buy Now,
payments
Financial technology firm Infcurion announced that its B2B payment platform, "Winvoice," has been adopted by Nara-based Nanto Bank in a move designed to buffer regional businesses against looming regulatory shifts in corporate settlements. The partnership marks the first instance of a Japanese regional bank utilizing the Winvoice
banking
Rakuten Group and its banking unit, Rakuten Bank, have agreed to reopen negotiations regarding the reorganization of their financial technology businesses, less than two years after shelving a similar proposal. The companies have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to integrate Rakuten Bank, Rakuten Card, and Rakuten Securities into a